The invention relates to a device for activating an opening mechanism and/or a closing mechanism for lockable moving parts on vehicles. The device includes a manual actuator which, upon its actuation, acts on a switch and switches on a drive for opening or closing the movable vehicle part. Such a drive can belong to a closure which is embodied as a rotary latch. The rotary latch is secured by a locking pawl in the locking position and, upon activating the actuator, is transferred into an opening position. Such a device is, for example, used at the rear hatch of a motor vehicle.
In the known device of this kind (DE 34 40 442 A1) the actuator is a pushbutton which is arranged in a hole in the outer skin. In order to secure the pushbutton in its initial position, a pressure spring is required. In order to protect the mechanism against dirt and moisture, the pushbutton is covered by a foil and sealed. Upon actuating the pushbutton, a ball is moved which acts on a contact maker of a switch which is arranged adjacent to the pushbutton. This known actuator comprises several components which must be manufactured separately and assembled with one another. Despite the elastic cover, dirt and moisture can enter the hole of the outer skin.
Moreover, in devices of the kind mentioned above, further decorative elements, can be provided before, on and/or within the outer skin of the vehicle which serve for embellishing or provide a visual information content. A typical example for this is a company emblem.
In a device of the latter kind (DE 197 22 503 A1) the decorative element is comprised of a company emblem which is supported rotatably on the outer skin which in its initial position covers a lock body relative to the exterior. The company emblem can be transferred into a release position in which it releases the lock body or another actuator for the vehicle part. In the release position, the company emblem at the same time functions as a grip element in order to completely open the vehicle part, for example, a rear hatch of the vehicle. After actuation of the means, it was necessary to return the company emblem into its initial position. This is cumbersome.
It is known to arrange push buttons for interior gauges of motor vehicles under an elastic plastic skin (DE 42 13 084 A1) and to actuate the switches through the skin. The elastic skin serves as a cover of the steering wheel or an arm rest in the vehicle interior. Such a plastic skin cannot be used for the external actuation of doors or flaps of a vehicle. The external actuator of a door must be able to withstand impacts and must be weathering resistant.
It is moreover known to employ for actuation of switches in an arm rest (WO 97/11473) pressure-responsive resistors which are connected to a control module. The pressure-responsive resistors are arranged on the surface of a foam material layer and the foam material layer is covered by a flexible skin which may have a soft outer layer. Upon pressure actuation on the flexible skin, the foam material layer is compressed and this results in a thickness change of the soft cover positioned above the pressure-responsive resistors. Such soft inner covers of the vehicles are not suitable for external actuators of doors.
It is finally also known in the case of inner covers of vehicles (GB 2 161 122 A) to employ membrane switches underneath an elastic foam material layer, wherein the arrangement locations of the switch, for the purpose of visual and touch recognition, are recessed at some locations. The actuation pressure results in a deformations of the recessed locations of the foam material layer which then act on the membrane switch. Such foamed material layers have also been used for rocker actuators or membrane switches (U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,028), wherein projecting areas in the arm rest indicated the position of the switch. This foam material layer was covered by a flexible skin. The pressure actuation resulted in the compression of the layer above the membrane switch or the rocker with regard to its layer thickness which resulted in pressure being exerted onto the switching elements underneath. Such foam material layers which are compressible with regard to their layer thickness are not suitable for the external actuation of doors.
Cushions of elastic material, whose exterior however must be covered by a metallic coating, have been used on the grips or buttons positioned on the exterior side of doors (FR 2 217 784 A). In the elastic cushions a switch with a contact maker was integrated. The contact maker was supported on a bracket arranged before the cover. The car body of the door in this area was provided with a depression in order to provide space for the hand. The hand compressed the elastic cushion from behind, i.e., from the interior of the depression. Accordingly, the cushion together with the switch integrated therein was pressed against the bracket underneath the cover. This door actuators are comprised of numerous components. This known door actuators form disturbing components projecting from the car body which can easily soil and are difficult to clean.
The invention has the object to provide a reliable device of the kind mentioned above which is of an inexpensive configuration and is easy to manipulate.
The invention has recognized that either the outer skin of the vehicle or the decorative element seated on the exterior skin of the vehicle can take over the further novel functions of being the actuator for the switch. According to a first embodiment, a portion of the car body itself is used as an actuator for the switch. The car body is comprised generally of sheet metal. The wall thickness of the car body cannot be compressed but is rigid by nature. The invention suggests to size a car body portion so large relative to the supported neighboring areas of the car body that this portion can be pushed inwardly from an initial position by a certain travel stroke to form a dent. This dent is used for actuating a switch. The car body is outwardly smooth within this dented portion, requires no holes and no insert parts. It is sufficient to arrange the contact maker of the switch either directly or indirectly in the yielding path of the car body portion. Since holes are no longer present in the car body, there are no sealing problems and there is no risk of soiling.
In an analog way, according to another embodiment, a portion of the decorative element is the actuator for the switch without this requiring special measures. The provided configuration of the decorative element in the form of stays and intermediate penetrations is used. Such stays result because of the decorative function or its information contents upon which the decorative element is based, for xample, by the lines of a letter. The invention has recognized that the stays generate the elastic yielding in a certain portion of the decorative element and that this area is especially suitable in order to serve as an actuator for the switch. At most, separating cuts or weakening of these stays must be additionally provided. These separating cuts and weakened areas do not interfere with the decorative function nor do they change the information content; for example, a letter remains easily readable even when the line forming its stay has a small gap. The gap transforms the stay into a bar which is fastened at one end and free at the other end which upon pressure exertion can be easily bent. Accordingly, numerous components, which were otherwise required for an actuator positioned underneath the decorative element, are no longer needed. Moreover, the decorative element as a whole must not at all change its initial position in order to trigger the actuator. It is sufficient to push the respective stay of the decorative element in order to obtain the desired switch actuation.